DOTW – Crossfit: The Destruction of Human Biomechanics

DOTW – Crossfit: The Destruction of Human Biomechanics

Hello and welcome to the latest instillation of “The Dogma of the Week.” The topic of this week will be covering the damaging effects of Crossfit on human biomechanics. As many know of me already, I’m strongly against the training methodology that is Crossfit. It is completely dysfunctional and has no purpose being in anyway involved with the general population that does not care for competition. I do realize that people call Crossfit a sport, however I tend to accept that as more of an excuse considering the origins of it being something that “forges elite fitness.”

Considering my time being a major constraint from several different projects occupying my time, I’ll keep it short in terms of writing.

My explanation for why Crossfit is destructive to human movement:

It does not stress the institution of contralateral or transverse movement into it’s blueprint. Although to most it doesn’t seem like it’s all that important, I have found it to be the ultimate of all ultimates in developing strength on all platforms as well as preventing future injuries. It is this type of movement (walking, running, throwing) humans have done in the last few million years. I know it’s hard to wrap our heads around it, because 7 years ago I would have called myself crazy, but if we really think about it the math just seems to make a whole lot of sense. Anyway, gotta get going.

So in terms of the human planes of motion what does a complete, full body workout consist of (as in what muscle groups are worked and for the muscle groups what planes are used for a full body workout)?

Wow Naudi, great video to explain the fundamental problem with the lack of dynamic training in todays fitness industry. Unfortunately too many fitness professionals focus on the quantity of movement vs the quality of movement that leads to injury.

1. You’re failling to notice that although we move in a sagital plane, our daily activities demand us to move in other planes of movement as well. You allways explain the movements in terms of throwing and punching, but what about picking, pulling and pushing?

2. Your radar gets you stuck in just one component of crossfit, it is true, and I do agree that crossfit has done as a fitnness industry is the certification in broad quantities. Yes, they do it for the money.

3. I have to disagree with you about good and bad crossfit; there is rather good crossfit; there are outstanding coaches line Kelly Starret, Carl paoli, Brian Mcknezie, Jami Tikkanen and so on that have changed the path of crossfit.

4. Crossfit has come to stay; and as a friend of mine (atlhlean-x) said once “it has donde more good than evil”

I’m purely speaking within the comparisons of what I employ in the system I’m doing. It’s not even comparable to crossfit and I was making this video to let people know that they don’t have to pick a lesser of two evils when it comes to training (bodybuilding at gym vs crossfit), when I have something that covers stuff like picking things up in my blueprint better than crossfit does. Keep in mind this is just one of the rebuttals I have for crossfit that I have, not the total spectrum of it. Like mentioned prior, I came from a school of thought that didn’t cater to people’s need for instant gratification and where training was actually progressive. Now you have this system that has bastardized the fitness industry more than ever by putting two of the most injury prone sports together to “forge elite fitness”. Never was it designed truly to get people into functional shape. Gymnastics were never made to get people healthy (take a look at how many old gymnasts there are), neither were olympic lifts. They never took human health into consideration when it comes to their platform of training. Again, I’m not here complaining about how horrible crossfit is and not providing a complete alternative. I’m giving people free information and letting them know that there is something else out there that doesn’t manipulate your perceptions to make you feel like you’re somehow part of the “elite”. Fortunately, people are getting certified through this system everywhere on the planet and intelligent people are beginning to understand how stupid it is to put your ego into your training modality. Out of the coaches that are all there that may “be part of the good”, there’s thousands of others making Crossfit the abomination that it is. And even if the coaching is “good”, it’s the equivalent of trying to upgrade an engine on a car that is running on flat tires. It doesn’t work. Crossfit is garbage and within time it will be exposed by people who are intelligent enough to see beyond their own insecurities and let go of their own ego to actually do something relevant with their existence. Crossfit is an abomination and anyone who represents that will soon feel the shame that should be felt whenever they take on that brand into their personal business model. If you like it, that’s fine let it create more destruction on your body, when the time comes that there’s a Functional Patterns across the street, you might see the destruction you may have just done to yourself. good luck and may the schwartz be with you.

You are absolutely correct about the lack of sagittal plane movement in crossfit and bodybuilding. However, as humans we move in all planes. Although I agree with your ideas related to training sagittally because we predominantly move along that plane, I wonder how you would train for vertical jumping if that was a clients primary need. I would never suggest neglecting training in any plane of motion, and I am a huge fan of your videos and they have opened my eyes to many new techniques. Hopefully you can shed some light on the topic of vertical jumping or broad jumping as performed at an athletic combine. I realize training for these things specifically may not produce the optimal health benefits you yourself are always after, but I would still be interested in hearing your feedback. Thanks! Keep up the good work!

Naudi, I’ve been following functional patterns for a couple of years and try and incorporate some of the moves. I would attend a gym if one was around. As a chiropractor I get the neurology and concept behind it. Great stuff. I do have a problem with your attitude which seems quite sactimonious at times. And yes, I am a crossfiter and in the best shape of my life at 61.